The Heart Cries Out: How the Church Responds to Each Era's Spiritual Needs | June 29, 2025

In this episode, Father Wolf explores the rich history and profound meaning behind the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, explaining how this spiritual practice emerged during the Scientific Revolution as a counterbalance to an increasingly mechanical view of God and the universe.• The Sacred Heart devotion originated in northern Europe during the mid-17th century when scientific advancement was beginning to change how people viewed God and creation• Throughout Christian history, believers have created new spiritual expressions when existing forms failed to nourish their souls• As science portrayed the universe as mechanical and governed by immutable laws, theological understanding often followed suit, creating an image of God bound by rigid justice• The Sacred Heart devotion emphasized Christ's human compassion against the cold intellectualism of the age• For modern Catholics, this devotion invites us to recognize that God works in the depths of our hearts, beyond both cold rationality and shallow emotionalism• Jesus meets us wherever we are in our spiritual journey, offering divine mercy that flows from love rather than obligationJoin us in exploring how this "old-fashioned" devotion still offers profound wisdom for contemporary spiritual seekers.************Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.